1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head cleaning mechanism for cleaning a magnetic head to conduct reading and writing operations of information on a magnetic tape and a magnetic tape apparatus including the magnetic head cleaning mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic tape apparatus includes a mechanism, which transports, at installation of a cartridge therein, a tip end of an unused magnetic tape wound around a supply reel in the cartridge up to a hub of a windup reel in the apparatus to thereby fixedly install the tape thereon.
For this purpose, a mechanism called “threading scheme” is known. According to the threading scheme, a cam gear and a threading arm to be moved by the gear are used to transport a leader block along a magnetic tape transporting route up to a supply reel, and to transport, after engaging a leader pin disposed at a tip end of the magnetic tape with a leader block, the leader block again along the transporting route up to a windup reel. The magnetic tape transporting route will be referred to as a threader track hereinbelow.
In a magnetic tape apparatus, to retain favorable reading and writing efficiency of its magnetic head, it is required to periodically clean the magnetic head.
Techniques associated with the magnetic head cleaning mechanism include “a head cleaning mechanism for a magnetic tape apparatus” described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Ser. No. 2006-318563 and “a recording and reproducing apparatus” described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Ser. No. 2006-155683.
According to the techniques described in these documents, the magnetic tape apparatus includes an arm employing a cleaning brush. In an ordinary state, the brush is placed at a position not to hinder the tape from running. In a cleaning state, the arm is rotated to bring the brush into contact with the magnetic head.
In short, the techniques employ a configuration in which the threader track exists between the arm with the brush and the magnetic head. In this configuration, a driving source to turn the cleaning brush and the arm to the cleaning position is arranged at a position opposite to the magnetic head with the threader track therebetween.
In such configuration, to bring the brush into contact with the magnetic head, it is required to move the brush to cross the threader track in the cleaning state. Hence, the brush moves in a large stroke. The moving track of the brush is a dead space in which parts and the like cannot be placed. Therefore, when the stroke becomes larger, the apparatus is increased in size.
To remove this problem in the techniques of the above documents, it can be considered to place the driving source on a side opposite to the threader track such that the brush is disposed at a position on the side of the magnetic head relative to the threader track.
However, for a magnetic tape apparatus using the threading scheme, the threading arm moves over the threading track or an upper or lower position thereof on the magnetic side. It is hence difficult to dispose a mechanism not to interfere with the threading arm, the mechanism supplying power from a driving source placed on the opposite side of the thread track to the brush disposed on the magnetic side relative to the threader track.
As above, a need exists for a magnetic head cleaning mechanism which is applicable to a magnetic tape apparatus employing the threading scheme and which drives the cleaning brush in a small space.